Three Fs for Fewer Fiascos on Product Design

Hannah Jaracz

Michel Tellier, vice-president for aerospace and defense at Dassault Systèmes, says that the software developer is delivering on the engineering mantra "form, fit, function" with the latest version of its CATIA 3D design software. Tellier note that previous versions of the software covered the first two Fs, allowing engineers to design and model complex systems digitally. CATIA 3D v6 adds the third F in the form of its new Test to Perform module, which allows engineers to carry out virtual testing by putting behavior into their designs and model the various effects design elements will have on each other. In the aerospace fields, this innovation helped Dassault Aviation design the European Neuron unmanned strike aircraft and the Falcon 5X business jet, some of the first aircraft designed fully using digital mockup. Tellier says that Test to Perform is one of the first steps towards a massive paradigm shift towards the use of virtual testing early in the design process and away from physical testing much further down the line. It is possible to imagine that had Boeing designers been able to use the virtual testing feature as they designed the battery and electrical systems for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company could have avoided the tremendous headaches it is currently experiencing as those systems prove to be problematic.